Improvement in construction of prisons



E. MAY. CONSTRUCTION OF masons.

No. 110,483. Patented Dec. 27, 187.0.

THE Nonms PETERS co. pwcnuumo, WASNINGTON, u r.-v

ama-

git-intent dffire Letters Patent No. 110,483, dated December 27, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION OF PRISONS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

' I, EDWIN MAY, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements in Prisons, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Olp'ect of the Invention.

My present invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and mode of operating the fastenings that secure the cell, corridor, and other interior doors of prisons,-ai1d is an improvement on the device for a similar purpose secured 'to me by Letters Patent dated October 4, 1859, having for its object to simplify and render them more eflicient when applied to carry out the objects set'forth in the schedule forming part of said Letters Patent, viz: 'avoidingthe necessity of actual :contact with the prisoners, while the keeper has perfect knowledge and control of them, andpreventing their escape by knocking down the keeper, which has often occurred where the common arrangement of prisons has been used.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the interior of a prison, showing the device embodying my inven tion for securing the cell, corridor, and other interior doors.

Figure 2 is a. side view of fastening.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 4, ground plan of prison.

General Description.

A are the prison-walls.

B, partition between the dining-hall and cells.

0, cell.

I), cell-door.

E, corridor-door.

I grated interior entrance-door, projecting from line of wall, through which to inspect the interior of the prison and observe the condition, position, or movements of the prisoners.

G, exterior entrance-door.

The fastenings for each of the interior doors consist of a vertical rod, H, arranged near the openingside of the door, which is hung to revolve in suitable bearings, and provided with hooked catches or lugs, N N.

These rods extend below the floor of the prisons, and are furnis'hed on their lower ends with levers, J J.

from the outer ends of the levers J, attached to the lower ends of the rods H at the cell-doors, a connecting-rod, K, extends to the end ofa similar lever, J. attached to the lower end of vertical rods, L,

similar to and hung in the same manner as rods H H, and which are arranged on the outside or diningroom side ot'partition B.

To rods L, in any convenient position, levers are attached for the convenience of turning them, and thus, by 'means of the levers M and J and connecting-rod K, operating the vertical rods H, to which the hooked catches N N are attached.

- The same arrangement is employed to secure the corridor-doors with the vertical rods L, to which the v lever M is attached, arranged in the space bet-ween the inner and outer entrance-doors.

It is designed to arrange. the fastnings for each cell and corridor-door so as to be operated separate- 1y, so that any one door may be opened or closed at plcasuie independent ofthe others.

The objection to the fastenings employed by me in the patent above referred to, and, in fact, to all other devices with which I am acquainted, is, that unless the doors are closed tight and work true, they prevent the catches from operating, and in arrangements whereall the doors are secured by a device that fastens all simultaneously, if one door stands a. little open it will prevent the whole from being fastened; or if one or more prisoners'close their doors so that the f'astenings will work inside of them, these doors will remain unsecured, while the remainder will be fastened, and thus the keeper will be deceived; hence the importance of having some fastenings that will operate eifectually, whether the doors work properly or not, orwhether they be fully closed.

\Vith my present arrangement of the vertical rods, furnished with the hooked catches N N, if the door stands several inches open the books will close it. Of course, with this device it is contemplated that when the prisoners are ordered from one apartment to another, or into their cells, they close the door after them.

The arrangement of the lever that operates the vertical rod arranged between the outside entrancedoor and the inside circular door is such that it is made secure from being turned by the outside door,

which closes against it, and the outside. door is securcd by a padlock through the projecting end of the lever.

In addition to the fiistenings herein described the doors may all be secured by locks, if desired.

. The advantages claimed for this fastening are, that it is simplerand cheaper in construction and more efiicient in operation than those in common use.

I make no claim to the arrangement of the fastening device herein described for the purpose of enabling the keeper to direct and secure the prisoners vithrmt coming in direct contact with them, as'this s already secured to me by the Letters Patent akve 'eferred to.

1 Claim.

I claim as my invention- 7 The vertical rods H, furnished with the hooked atches N N, and the vertical rods L, furnished with the lever M, if} combination with the levers J J ,attached to the lower enrls of rods H and L, and connect-ing-rod K, arranged substantially in; and for the purpose set forth.

EDWIN MAY.

Witnesses:

EDWIN F. MAY, JUNE MAY. 

